Sectional bookcase.



No. 729,494. y P'I'ENTED MAY`2-6, `1903.

' v R. HATCH.

SECTIONAL BOOKGASE.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 25, 1803.

KO MODEL.

.A L9 y f7 .il l 7 J y1.0 A l. a g I z' @ff Patented May 26, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

REUBEN HATCH, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

SECTIONAL' BOOKCAS E.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 729,494, dated May 26, 1903.

Application filed February 25, 1903. Serial No. 145,038. (No model To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN HATCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand This invention relates to an equalizing (levice for doors, drawers, and the like; andthe object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means of this character for insuring an even inward or outward movement of a door, drawer, or the like without possibility of sticking.

'lhe invention includes as one of its features and in connection with a case a sliding member movable into and out of the case, which sliding member may be either a drawer, a door, or equivalent, a plurality of crossed rods connected, respectively, with the case and sliding member, and links united to the rods opposite the point at which they cross, the parts being so mounted relatively to each other that when athrust is applied to one end of the sliding member to move the same into the case a pull or like effect will be exerted at the opposite end thereof through the intermediate connections, whereby the sliding member can be readily and evenly operated without liability of the same sticking. The said rods and links are so disposed and connected that they fold compactly into the space between the rear of the sliding member and the back wall of the case.

This invention is shown in one simple and convenient embodiment thereof in the accompanyin g drawings,forming a part of this speciication, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an element of a scetional bookcase embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the equalizing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a detail View of a modified form of connection between theouter ends of the rods and slidingY member.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the'figures of the drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, the numeral 5 denotesl tion with a drawer with equal advantage or in any other analogous device. The door has va horizontal slidingrmovement into and out through the respective eyes l0 near the opposite ends of the door 6 aud located upon what might be considered the inner side thereof, or said eyes may be upon the under side of the door, as shown in Fig. 3. The said outer ends of the rods have a longitudinal movement through the eyes 10, and thelatter may have threaded Shanks iitted into the wood-- work of thedoor-that is to say, screw-eyes are ordinarily employed to work in connection with the forward ends-of the rods. The rods 8 and 9, which, it will be seen, are free of each other, although they cross, are connected by links l1 and 12, jointed in some convenient manner to the respective rods and located at opposite sides of the point of intersection of the same. The links 11 and 12, it will be seen, converge toward the back of the case, so that whentheV door 6is slid into the case the structure, consisting of the rods 8 and 9 and links 11 and 12, will be compactly `folded. Should a thrust be applied to one end of the door-for example, the right end thereof-in order to move the same into the case the same is applied to the rod 8, which swings about its pivot near the back left corner of the case, and as 4therod 8 swings the thrust applied to the door is transferred equally to the links 11 and 12 and by said links to the rod 9, which in turn transfers the thrust to the left end of the door, whereby the latter can be moved into the case with an even motion. The same result applies when the door is moved into the case by pressure applied at the left of its center. lVhen the door is pulled out, the opposite results will take place. In other words, by virtue of the rods connected with the door and case, which rods act as levers for the time being, and links connected with said rods in the manner IOC described the stress applied to the door at any point is divided equally at opposite sides of the center thereof. As the door moves into or out of the case the forward ends of the rods S and 9 slide through the eyes l0.

The links 11 and 12 are connected with the rods S and 9 in a peculiar manner, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2, and which I will now describe. The link l1 is pivoted at its rear tothe under side of the rod 8 and has an upwardly-disposed offset 13 at is forward end pivoted to the under side of the rod 9, while the link 12 is pivoted at its rear to the upper side of the rod i) and has at its forward end a depending offset 14, pivoted to the upper side of said rod 8, the depth of each offset equaling that of a rod. By this simple construetion, notwithstanding the f act that the rods cross, said rods and links, constituting the equalizing device, can be collapsed into a close condition. As the same result may be secured in other ways, I do not wish to limit myself to the construction just set forth. The outer ends of the rods, or those parts which project through the eyes, are in the nature of pivots, being usually made of metal, the door being adapted to turn upon the same as it is dropped down to a vertical position or elevated to a horizontal position.

Vhile I have shown my invention as incorporated in a sectional-bookcase element, it is of course not limited to this use, for said invention may be used with equal facility in many other connections.

The invention is not limited to the exact construction hereinbefore set forth, for many variations may be adopted within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. The combination of a case, a sliding member movable into and out of the same, a plurality of crossed rods connected respectively with the case and sliding member, and links united to the rods opposite the point at which they cross.

2. The combination of a case, rods pivoted in the same in proximity to the rear corners thereof, extending forward from their pivots and crossing each other, a slidingr member having eyes through which the outer ends of the rods freely project, and links united to the rods opposite the point at which theyeross.

3. The combination of a case, a sliding member movable into and out of thesamc, having eyes, a plurality of crossed rods connected with the rear of the case and having hooked ends Slidable through said eyes, and links united to the rods opposite the point at which they cross.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- HCSSGS.

n REUBEN HATCH.

Witnesses:

HUGH E. WiLsoN, C. II. EMERY. 

